Goodness Eclipsed: The Reverse of Arcadia
by RoseSignerAlchemist
Summary: A Satellite-born girl, taken from her home by the Arcadia Movement, might play a bigger role in the battle against the notorious Dark Signers than anyone knows. *Based on the video game World Championship 2010: Reverse of Arcadia* *Yusei x OC*
1. Prologue: The Awakening

_**Prologue: Alex - The Awakening**_

_**

* * *

**_

...

_...where am I?_

"Any change, Seira?"

"No, I'm afraid not, sir."

_Who was that? What is this?_

I tried to move, feel, open my eyes, anything; but I was lost inside my own body. I felt like I was caught in the dreamless state between sleeping and waking, when you were aware of what you were doing but didn't feel like you had any control over it.

But then...I heard something...voices. Not with my ears and not with my mind...more like something was trying to tell me someting through my soul itself. Something that was somehow already part of my being, and yet locked away.

* * *

_"I'm sorry it had to come to this, but I suppose I'll have to take you by force!"_

_"YUSEI!"_

_

* * *

_

Was that a memory? I didn't know, I couldn't remember anything. A vision of the future?

Yusei? What did that mean?

_"Alexandra..."_

That wasn't the maliciously kind voice that I had heard only moments ago. This voice was pure, warm, ringing, like golden wind chimes. The feeling of safety wrapped itself around me like a warm blanket. I knew whoever it was meant me no harm.

I tried to reply, "Who are you?" but my voice ignored my command. Instead, I simply thought it; it was a bit difficult to keep focus long enough to do even that.

_Who are you?_

_"One who would help. Alex...your friends call you Alex, do they not?"_

_Friends...? I don't know...I don't...I can't...remember anything..._

_"I know, child...I'm only sorry I can't tell you more...that is another's job."_

I wanted to hear more, but I could feel myself slipping further towards consciousness.

_"But I can tell you this; what you are waking up to is not where you belong..."_

_W-wait! What am I waking up to? Who are you?_

_"All will be revealed in time, child..."_

The voice was gone as suddenly as it had appeared; I felt a chill as the warm feeling suddenly left me.

I heard a woman gasped. It sounded distant, like hearing a voice in a dream moments before waking.

"Sayer! A change has been detected in the test subject's body!"

Test subject? Was that me?

I heard footsteps, as if another person in the room was running over to the woman.

"What is it?" a male voice asked frantically.

"See this wavy pattern? It's likely the subject is communicating with the Spirit World!"

"Really?" the man asked, as if he couldn't believe what he had heard. There was a pause, and then he continued, in a much more mellow voice, "Well, then, it seems that all of our research up to this point hasn't been in vain after all..."

All the talking was pulling me further into consciousness. I knew I was awake now, but still lacked the will to open my eyes. I could hear the beeping of machines and, overhead, a steady hum - an air conditioner?

"Okay, that's enough for today, Seira," the man said. "Maybe it's time we put this one to work for us..."

He sounded - I didn't know. I couldn't determine whether his intent was good or bad. I felt...neutral, towards everything, if that made any sense.

I finally cracked my eyes open and was greeted by the glare of a fluorescent light. My head pounded, and I ached all over. Quite unintentionally, I groaned.

"Oh!" the woman, who I presumed was named Seira, gasped. "The subject's eyes have opened!"

My vision finally focused, and I could see that I was lying in a capsule-like bad in a dim room filled with blinking machines and monitors. Going back and forth between looking at me and typing data on a control panel furiously was "Seira", a young woman - maybe twenty? - with short burnt-orange hair and brownish-gold eyes, wearing a curious robe-like uniform with a long-sleeved shirt and pants underneath it. Staring at me almost eagerly was a man with flippy auburn hair wearing a black shirt and green vest.

"When she is able to walk," the man commanded Seira, "take our little protege to her room. But make sure that no one, and I mean _no one_, finds out that she is not a psychic duelist. If anyone else finds this out, our secret could be leaked to the outside world."

"Yes, sir," Seira replied, bowing her head a little.

With that, the man turned and strode out the door.

"how do you feel?" Seira asked me with a kind smile.

"Sore," I groaned. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Arcadia Movement headquarters, of course!"

"...Okay, you lost me at Arcadia."

Seira laughed.

I really didn't see what was so funny about the situation.

"Don't worry, I'll explain later. Rest for now. Once you regain your strength, I'll show you to your room and you'll meet your new teammates."

I was insanely confused, but I just nodded and forced myself to relax. (Wow, what a paradox.)

_Arcadia Movement..._

_

* * *

_**Just for the record, if you've read my story "iChooseYou!" there's a character named Alex in that story, too. The Alex in THAT story is a self-insert. The Alex in THIS story is not - she's a totally different character, personality wise. I just used the name Alex for my character when I played the video game and it would feel weird to use another name for her in this story. Just clearing that up!**


	2. Chapter 1: Sayer's Orders

_**Chapter One: Alex - Sayer's Orders**_

**

* * *

**

"So, I'm guessing not much goes on here?" I asked my new roommates, two boys - a brown-haired teenager with glasses named Okita and a sandy blonde named Liquid. Strange names. But then again, mine wasn't all that common either, I guess.

Wait, why was I worrying about their names? I was sharing a room with two _guys_! But it didn't feel as strange as I thought it would – don't get any ideas, I'm not that kind of person! It felt more like I was used to it, if anything else, even though I couldn't remember hanging out with any guys before.

I couldn't remember hanging out with _anyone_, for that matter.

Okita laughed. "I'm honestly not sure, Alexandra. We just got here ourselves not long ago, remember? But Seira said we should be receiving our instructions from Sayer soon, so something should be getting ready to happen."

Alexandra…

"I guess," I said. "But…guys?"

"Yeah? What's up?" Liquid asked shortly. I had the feeling he didn't really feel comfortable around me after I had displayed my ignorance by not what the Arcadia Movement even was after Seira had stuck me in here with them.

"Would you two mind calling me Alex? It…feels strange when you call me by my full name."

Okita shrugged. "Of course – Alex. It _does_ seem to suit you better than Alexandra."

"Thanks," I sighed.

Reaching into the holster strapped to my thigh over my white pants, revealed by the slit up the sides of my purple-and-dark-grey sleeveless dress – for some reason, it felt strange, wearing a dress – and pulled out the deck that Seira had given me. I sifted through the cards slowly, admiring the artwork on each one. It consisted mostly of Psychic monsters and support. Psychic Snail…Krebons… Psychic Sword…Brain Control…Trap Jammer…you know, this would actually be a pretty good hand if I was in a duel…Ryko the Lightsworn Hunter?

That card struck a familiar chord in my mind for some reason. Why?

I ran my finger over the holographic image of the majestic white wolf on the card. Ryko was a weak monster, but when played correctly, was deadly enough to take down even a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Its outside appearance had no effect on the power it concealed on the inside.

…whoa. Where did _that_ come from? Way to freak yourself out with deep talk, Alex.

But…how did I know the card's effect to destroy another card on the field before I even _read_ it?

Agh. Too much thinking. I'll figure it out later…

I put the cards back in the holster and heaved myself off of the couch where I would be sleeping from now on. The room was rather bare except for a large window looking into the next room over, another window directly at a ninety-degree angle from it looking out over New Domino City, my aforementioned sofa and Okita and Liquid's beds on opposite sides of the room from each other. I stood in front of the window looking into the next room, and discovered I could see my reflection.

My mousy brown hair was parted in the center with a few strands hanging in front of my eyes annoyingly, and it reached just a little past my shoulders. Eyes that matched the color of my hair stared back at me. The previously described Arcadia Movement uniform that Okita and Liquid also wore, but was different in that it had obviously been made for a female, covered my thin – almost scrawny, as if my muscles hadn't been used in a while – figure. A basic New Domino duel disk rested on my left arm.

Ugh. My hair was a mess and I was in a _dress_. This would _not_ work…and that rhymed. Well, I couldn't do anything about the dress since I didn't have any other outfits, but I could at least do something about the hair. I untied a strip of cloth – how did that get there, anyway? – from around my wrist and arranged the strands into the best ponytail I could manage.

Ah. Much better. It's so much easier to focus when you don't have to keep blowing hair out of your eyes.

A whizzing sound filled the air as the automatic door to the room slid open. Okita, Liquid, and I all jumped – the boys were on their feet in an instant.

In walked the same auburn-haired man who had been in the lab-type room when I woke up in the Arcadia Movement building. That had to be Sayer!

"Psychic duelists, listen up!" he commanded.

I wasn't a psychic duelist! He had admitted it right to my face. What was he trying to hide?

Sayer continued, "The next operation to be carried out by our very own Arcadia Movement has been decided upon! The target will be the Sector Security tournament, the Fortune Cup. Apparently, a number of duelists with amazing skills will participate in this tournament. Sector Security…" He chuckled. "Well, I can't let them go about their business without any oversight, can I?"

He turned towards the door. "Akiza, come!"

A teenage girl about my age with short burgundy hair and matching eyes walked into the room after Sayer. She wore an admittedly cool Victorian-style street outfit that bore a good amount of cleavage, and a small, strange silver device was keeping her front bangs rolled out of her face. She hovered unnaturally close to Sayer, as if she were a frightened puppy sticking close to its master's feet.

"This is Akiza Izinski," Sayer said. "She has been invited to take part in the Fortune Cup."

"Hello," Akiza said quietly, almost emotionlessly. The three of us all nodded in greeting.

"I need the three of you," Sayer said, "to infiltrate the rear of the event in order to support her."

He looked us over for a moment, his gaze lingering on me, before continuing. "That being said, it looks like you don't have enough power now to bend a psychic duel to your will. The three of you will have to work together; consider it a kind of field training." He turned back to Akiza. "Akiza, make sure you give those other contestants a real taste of your powers!"

"Yes, sir," Akiza replied. "Everything will be as you wish, Sayer."

"All right," Sayer announced, shooting a sharp glare at us. "You three, head over to the tournament. Don't fail me!"

Sayer and Akiza turned and went back outside, the door sliding closed behind them.

"Well," Liquid shrugged, "you guys ready to tackle this mission?"

Okita and I both nodded.

"Let's go crash ourselves a tournament, I suppose!" Okita cheered.

"Uh, Okita," I put in, "we're not supposed to _crash_ it, just support Akiza so she can _win_ it."

"Oh. Then, let's go _not _crash ourselves a tournament?"

The only response he received was a palm to the face from Liquid, and a DiNozzo slap on the back of the head from me.

* * *

"Snap, snap, _snap_," I muttered to myself as I turned another random corner in the rather spacious duel stadium lobby. "Of course I didn't think to ask for directions!"

We had split up so as to sneak into the stadium more inconspicuously, but you know how these things go – _someone_ gets lost. And of course, it turned out to be me!

Just as I was about to give up and just sit down until someone showed up, I spotted a familiar dirty blonde head.

"Liquid!" I yelled as I practically skidded to a stop in front of him.

"Alex!" Liquid yelled back. "I hear lots of cheering going on. Is the duel over?"

"I don't know!" I panicked.

"More importantly," he continued, "where'd Okita run off too? He's taking forever!"

"Guys!"

"OKITA!" Liquid and I both growled as we spun around to face the newly-arrived brunette. I could practically feel the flames in our eyes and the background.

"I apologize for my lateness," Okita laughed nervously, "but I have news! Akiza Izinski has…lost!"

"What?" I cried.

"Don't we need her for this plan to work?" Liquid asked frantically. "Now what?"

"I guess," Okita sighed, "that we just go home and forget about it. Even coming here was probably a waste of time now."

"Yeah, you're right," I said, a plan hatching in my mind. "But…uh…you guys just wait for me outside the stadium. I have to use the little girls' room, seeya!"

Before either one of them could respond, I dashed off down the hallway, cutting another corner.

I wasn't leaving without having a look around first. And technically, I _was_ going to the bathroom, I was just taking the…scenic route! Yeah, that's it.

"Suckers," I giggled. "I wonder who it was that defeated Akiza – oof!"

Me and whoever I had collided with tumbled to the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl who had run into me panicked as we both got up. She had pin-straight black hair and was wearing a blue-and-white shirt, an orange vest, denim capris, and orange sneakers. Her eyes could have been dark green, but it was hard to tell as they were covered by thick round glasses. She was carrying a notepad and camera.

"Oh, hey!" she cried. I flinched a bit. "You're a duelist from the Arcadia Movement, right? I'm Carly Carmine, journalist! I want you to tell me _everything_ you know about the Arcadia Movement!"

Whoa…she sure was enthusiastic.

"U-uh…" I stammered. "Sorry, it's…classi – "

SKIIIID – BOOM.

"GAAAAH!"

"What the - ?" I gasped.

"Huh!" Carly cried. "Has the championship match already started? And more importantly…what was that sound just now? I've got to get to the stadium, pronto!"

"Hold up, I'm coming with!" I cried, taking off running with her.

It took a few minutes before we finally reached the double doors that led to the fenced-in area next to the Turbo Duel track. As soon as Carly and I stepped through, we were forced to shield our eyes from a flaring crimson light.

When I finally managed to look…

"Aah!" I was staring up at a dragon! An enormous, red, glowing dragon!

"What?" Carly cried. "What's going on? Who just summoned that huge dragon? This is gonna be HUGE! I've gotta get an interview!"

When had she run off? I didn't notice. By the dime the dragon dispersed and she was gone, I heard the screeching of Duel Runners. Finally jolting out of my trance, I looked down at the Turbo Duel track to see two Duel Runners – one red and one white – both skidding to a stop. Both of the riders got off. One was a blonde a little older than me in a long white coat and the other was a boy about my age with strangely pointy black hair streaked with gold and wearing black jeans and a dark blue jacket.

"_This is unbelievable!" _a voice I assumed to be the MC's echoed through the stadium. _"No one saw this coming! Oh, the shocker! Jack Atlas has lost, and we have a new champion: Yuuseeeei Fuuuuudo!"_

…Yusei…?

My head and my arm began to throb in unison. Taken aback by the sudden pain, I clutched the sides of my head and doubled over. "AGH!"

* * *

_It was almost dusk. All around me was a run-down street; the area was obviously suffering from extreme prolonged urban decay._

"_Looks like it was a breeze for the both of you, huh?" Jack asked, giving both Yusei and I a playful punch in the shoulder._

"_Yeah, I guess it was!" Yusei laughed, looking at me. "I mean, we're good friends after all."_

_

* * *

_

I snapped my eyes back open. The cheering of the crowd seemed dimmer, and I felt lightheaded.

What had _that _been all about?

Whatever it was, I wasn't sticking around.

I ran back into the hallway joining the lobby to the stadium, stumbled as I felt as if I was going to pass out for a minute, then decided to just take my time getting back outside to meet the boys.

* * *

**I've read the reviews for another Reverse of Arcadia fic, and I thought I'd point this out right off the bat. I changed some plot events and elements to make the story a bit different from the actual game. And I KNOW the game isn't canon with the anime. And guess what? I DON'T CARE! If you don't like it, then go read something else, simple as that. So NO FLAMES! If you have constructive criticism, then fine. But if not, and all you're going to do is flame my writing, then get the heck off of it. If there's one thing I hate, it's haters! ... Wait, lemme try that again...**

**You know the drill, read and review!**

**Unless you're a hater.**


	3. Chapter 2: Forgotten

_**Chapter Two: Yusei - Forgotten**_

_**

* * *

**_I all but collapsed onto the nearest bench, breathing hard. Did I lose them? Yeah, I think I did. They probably won't even bother coming looking for me near the practice Duel Runner track - it was too out of the way.

Since becoming the new Turbo Duel champion, I had developed a newfound respect for my old friend Jack. It must take a _lot_ of stamina (and experience) to get away from all the media and groupies. _Me_, on the other hand...I barely managed to escape without getting trampled!

I hadn't even wanted to compete in that tournament in the first place. I had only come to New Domino City to get my Stardust Dragon back from Jack - that was all. But I ended up getting caught, marked as a criminal, sent to and released from the Facility, forced to enter the Fortune Cup by Director Goodwin because he kidnapped my friends...and then I find out that Jack, Akiza, Luna, and I are all Signers that are supposed to stop the end of the world!

But if the vision I had during the Fortune Cup was really going to come true... If these "Dark Signers" were really going to try to destroy the Satellite, then I would do anything I had to to stop them, no matter the price.

And then there was also the problem with Akiza...

_"Sayer said I wouldn't have to think anymore! He said he'd tell me everything I needed to know! I'll let Sayer do it for me, it's easier that way...I have no other option!"_

She was alone; no one should have to feel backed into a corner because no one else would accept them. Our Marks of the Dragon were supposed to bind us, all four of us, together. Now that she had other people who were glad to be her friends (well, maybe excluding Jack, but that's just Jack), I don't see why she doesn't join up with us. Maybe it's just hard for her to trust anyone, since everyone except this "Sayer" shunned her...

But I guess that you can't just _make_ people trust you. She'd come around eventually...

I heard a clanging noise and looked up automatically. The gate leading to the practice Duel Runner track had opened, and two teens about my age - a guy and a girl, by the look of it, even though they were a good distance away - were making their way out into the stone-paved courtyard where I was. They both wore the same uniform that I recognized as being from the Arcadia Movement - the same organization that Akiza was a part of. The voices were distant, but I could make out what they were saying.

"So you're saying Akiza _knocked you into a wall_ when you dueled her during training?" the guy asked the girl. "That's so cool! - Well, not to you, I guess."

They were nearing me, so I could make them out a little bit better. A sandy blonde guy and a light brunette girl...

"Yeah," the girl replied sarcastically, whacking the boy on the back of the head, "it _did_ kind of hurt, Liquid!" That voice seemed so familiar...

"Ow! What was that for?" the boy snapped.

"For being an idiot!" I could tell she didn't really mean it.

"Well," the boy said, "at least you didn't get hurt during Duel Runner training, unlike me... How did you manage to do so well your first time? You haven't been practicing behind my back, have you?"

"No, I'm...pretty sure that was my first time. I don't know...I guess I'm just a natural born rider," the girl shrugged. "Come on, we should get back to headquarters."

They were much closer to me.

A sneaking suspicion had been forming in the back of my mind this whole time, but it was just now that I actually started to piece everything together. She _looked _familiar... She _sounded_ familiar...great. I think all the stress has finally gone to my head. You're kidding yourself, Yusei. It had been two years since -

I could see them in detail now. And I saw that I _wasn't _kidding myself after all.

"Alex?" I cried, leaping up and running over to them. "Is that you?"

Both of them stopped walking and turned to face me.

No doubt about it; it was Alex! But something wasn't right. Her eyes seemed empty...almost soulless. What was up with her? She vanishes for two years, then shows up again with someone from the Arcadia Movement?

"Hey, you're the new champ, right?" the boy asked. "What are you doing around _here?_"

I barely heard him. Alex was staring at me, a look of utter confusion on her face.

She suddenly gasped, and for a brief second, her eyes were normal again. Filled with shock and seemingly not focused on anything, but normal. The eyes I remembered... But it only lasted for few moments until they went back to that horrible emptiness. She was trembling, and looked paler than normal.

"You don't look so hot..." the boy said, obvious concern on his face as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? You know that guy?"

_Of course she knows me!_ I wanted to say, but words wouldn't come.

Alex didn't reply.

I heard footsteps, and a new voice broke in on the scene. All three of us turned to see an auburn-haired man.

"Well, well," he said, "if it isn't Yusei Fudo. How about you stay out of my business?"

_YOUR business? She's _my_ friend!_

He turned to the boy. "You, take her back to headquarters!"

"...yes, Sayer," the boy said quietly, draping an arm around Alex's shoulders to steady her. This infuriated me for some reason.

Wait! Sayer? The one Akiza had been talking about? Had he managed to sink his hooks into Alex, too?

"Alex!" I tried to get her to look at me frantically. "Are you okay?"

Sayer whirled to glare at me. I glared back, unwavering.

"Yusei, this doesn't concern you!" Sayer snapped. "Please leave at once!"

I tore away from his gaze and looked back at Alex. She and that boy were already walking away.

"Alex!" I yelled after them. She didn't turn around.

_What's going on... ?_

I turned back towards Sayer. "I don't know what you're plotting, but I'm _not_ forgetting about this."

Sayer smiled maliciously, then turned his back to me and began walking after Alex and that boy. "Believe me, if you know what's good for you, Mr. Fudo, you _will_."

* * *

"Alright, lemme get this straight," Blister said. I had gone back to his hideout. "Your friend vanished for two years, then you saw her today with someone from the Arcadia Movement, and when you tried to talk to her, she acted like she didn't know you?"

"I don't think she was acting, Blister," I replied quietly, contemplating on what had happened and how Alex had reacted to seeing me. "Something's wrong, and I have a feeling that the Arcadia Movement and this Sayer character are to blame."

"Isn't that Black Rose a part of the Arcadia Movement, too?" Blister asked. I flinched as I heard the name Akiza had been dubbed with by most.

"Her name is _Akiza_, Blister, not Black Rose." I wasn't going to refer to her as the name people used when calling her a witch. "And yes, she is. And judging by the way Sayer talked to her at the Fortune Cup, she's probably a pet project of his."

"So...what now?"

"I'm going to get them both out of there. I'll go tonight."

Blister sighed. "Yusei, you seem to have an unusual obsession with breaking and entering...and breaking the rules in general. You break into New Domino City, you break into the Security Impound Center to get your Duel Runner back, now you're breaking into the Arcadia Movement Headquarters. That place is crawling with Psychic duelists - you _do_ know what'll happen if you get caught, right?"

I shot Blister a sharp look. Some people just didn't get it. "Do you know why I snuck into New Domino? Because I was sick and tired of people taking advantage of us Satellites, even if it was against the rules for me to be in the City. And do you know why I'm going to rescue Alex and Akiza from the Arcadia Movement, even though it's against the rules? Because they're my friends, and I'm not going to abandon them! Nobody else will, but _somebody_ has to stand up and say...

"_Screw the rules, this is wrong!_

"So why shouldn't it be me?"

Blister looked down for a few moments, silent. Then he looked back up at me, smirking. "Well, in that case, I think you're gonna need a key to get into that building."

I smiled. "Thanks."

* * *

**Hooray for POV switches and friendship speeches!**


	4. Chapter 3: Blast From The Past Part I

_**Chapter 3: Alex - Blast From The Past (Part I)**_

_**

* * *

**_This was total deja vu. I was back in the Arcadia Movement research lab after the incident near the Duel Runner track.

How had that Yusei guy known my name? He looked exactly like the Yusei I had seen in both of my visions - the one at the stadium and the one at the track - but I was pretty sure I had never met the guy before in my life!

Unless...maybe those visions were -

A sudden pain exploded in my head, sending my thoughts scattering. My skin felt like it was in flames and my vision was dimming. Oh, _please_, don't tell me I'm blacking out _again._

"I'm seeing a decrease in the level of consciousness, sir," Seira told Sayer. "At this rate, the subject will pass out on us."

Snap.

"So," Sayer mused, "the brainwashing is wearing off?"

Apparen - _brainwashing?_

"That's right," Seira replied. "It appears that the subject experienced a great shock related to a past event."

Okay, so I was being _brainwashed, _and those visions I was having really happened in my past?

(And I have a _name, _lady!)

"Yusei Fudo...!" Sayer growled. "Time and time again, he keeps getting in my way! If he gets any closer to this one, it could spell big trouble for us. Let's strengthen the brainwashing so that the subject can better resist these pests from the past!"

Yusei was in my past? Just what in the world _was_ my past?

"B-but..." Seira stammered, sounding concerned. "Sir, the brainwave isn't stable! If we push it too far, we could endanger the subject's life!"

_Endanger my life?_ Listen to Seira, dude!

"Hmph...I see...we can't afford to lose such an important asset. Preserving the subject's life takes priority. We'll have to conduct more brainwashing later."

_Phew. _That had been way too...close...

How'd I get...so dizzy...so...fast...

* * *

"Are you finally awake? You've been sleepin' forever!"

"WAAH!" I cried, jerking; next second, I was on the floor. Must have fallen out of bed. "What the - who said that?"

An upside-down head topped with wild orange hair appeared in my line of vision. "Aw, come on, I'm hurt! You don't recognize your own best friend Crow?"

I blinked up at him, confused for a moment. Then it all began to come back to me. I was in the B.A.D area of Satellite in Crow's hideout near the unfinished Daedalus bridge; Crow was one of my best friends along with the rest of the members of our duel gang, the Enforcers. How could I have forgotten that?

"You're kinda quiet, Alex, everything okay?"

"Yeah!" I replied with a smile, pushing myself up off the ground and jumping up to stand up next to Crow. "I'm okay. Just kinda disoriented for a minute."

Crow chuckled. "Glad to see you're lookin' normal now! But how about we make sure with a duel?" The words had barely left his mouth than did a look of realization cross his face. "Darn it, I forgot! Sector Security took our cards yesterday! Those Securities _really_ get on my nerves sometimes!"

"So what now?" I asked.

"What do you think? We sneak into the Securities' storage facility and get our decks back!"

I smirked. "Sounds like a plan! ...What exactly is the plan?"

"You're gonna wear this - " Crow went over to a nearby bookshelf, pulled off a uniform I recognized as Sector Security and a card marked with the Sector Security logo, and tossed them both over to me, " - and sneak in there unnoticed to get our cards."

"Wait, then what are you gonna do?"

"Hang here and pray that you don't get caught, of course!"

_WHACK._

"Ow!" Crow groaned, rubbing the back of the head where I had smacked him. "How did I not see that coming? I was just kidding, don't worry; I'm the diversion!"

"Um, one problem with that plan; won't you get caught?"

"Pft, are you kidding? Nobody can catch Crow the Bullet!" He referred to himself as this half playfully, half smugly, as if he were proud of the nickname. I knew we called him that because he was practically the fastest runner in Satellite, but he got kind of cocky about it sometimes.

I rolled my eyes playfully, shrugging out of my brown vest and unfolding the Security uniform. I then noticed that Crow wasn't making a move to let me change in peace. Agh, _men! _I don't understand them.

(Then again, maybe I understood them perfectly, and they manage to drive me all the more insane because of it.)

"Yeah, whatever you say, Crow. Now unless you want me to show the rest of the gang those photos of you being potty trained that Martha gave me...GET OUT!"

Crow looked horrified for a moment. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." I pushed him out the door of the room by the shoulders, then shut the door behind me. I then stripped out of my jeans and purple tank top and proceeded to don the security uniform. It felt a bit weird, as it had been made for a male, but it fit me well enough. After thinking it over for a minute, I decided to go without my duel disk; if I was seen with the obsolete version that all of us illegal Satellite duelists used, it would be a dead giveaway that I was a Satellite in disguise.

"Alrighty!" Crow cried as I stepped out the door to join him. "The storage facility is just around the corner. I'm gonna lure out the securities guarding the gate, you hide somewhere over there, then when we run past, you make a break for it!"

"Can do!"

Crow took off, and I hid behind a nearby pile of scrap metal that were pretty abundant around here. The perfect inconspicuous hiding place.

I waited a couple of minutes, then heard Crow's voice in the distance.

"Hey, securities! Looks like you got nothin' to do!"

A voice who I presumed to be a security guard's replied. "Hm? You're one of the duel gang members from yesterday!" (I laughed to myself as I remembered yesterday's run-in with Sector Security. We totally creamed them!) "What are you doing _here_ then, eh?"

"Ohhh, it's you! Have all your bruises healed?" Crow snickered, obviously attempting to elicit an angry response.

That's exactly what he got. "GAH! You're gonna pay for that, punk!"

I heard running footsteps. Acting reflexively, I pressed my back against my hiding place and felt a sharp piece of metal prick me in the back. "Snap!" I hissed quietly, then remembered I had to be quiet.

Soon, I saw Crow practically whiz past me - whoa, he really lived up to that nickname - and a security goon tagging behind him. "Get back here, scum!"

That was my cue.

I checked around the corner to make sure no more securities were coming, then took off down the path by the pier that led to the storage facility. It didn't take me long to get there at all. I slid the key card through the scanner next to the door; it made a beeping sound, indicating that the door had unlocked. Okay, so all I had to do now was find the card storage room, find our decks, and get the heck outta there before I got caught.

Wait. Why was I worrying about getting caught? Any security in there would probably assume I was a rookie or something! I mean, what was the point of wearing a disguise if it wasn't going to help me not get caught? Don't worry, Alex, you're gonna be fine!

I slipped through the door and carefully closed it behind me, then took the first hallway I saw...until it hit me. Why would they put the place where they put confiscated decks right in the front of the building where anyone could sneak in and steal them back? They were probably in the back where it was harder to get...unless they knew we would figure that out, so they actually kept them in the front where we figured they would be but would be too easy so we wouldn't go there and AGH! Forget it, I'm just going with my first instinct!

When I got to the end of the hallway, I discovered that indeed, the card storage room _was _there. Hmph, and people accused us Satellites of being stupid! (Or maybe we're just incredibly lucky.) I picked through the room until I found Crow's Blackwings and my Lightsworns, then hid them under the security uniform jacket, booked it back down to the main entrance, and managed to get back to the hideout without any problems.

"Oh, you're finally back!" Crow exclaimed as I hopped through the door. "Took ya long enough!"

"Excuse me," I huffed, "_you_ didn't have to do the hard part! Maybe I won't give you your cards back after all."

"I know you better than that," Crow teased. "You may be mean, but you're not that cruel."

_WHACK._

"Owie!" Crow whined. "You really enjoy hitting people on the back of the head, don't you?"

I smirked. "What can I say? It's my trademark." I reached down into the inside pocket of the uniform jacket, pulled out Crow's deck, and held it out for him.

All he did was stand and stare at me wide-eyed as he took the cards back. "Alex, you're a genius!"

"What the - " I looked down, realized the implication, then shot him a sharp glare and whacked him on the back of the head again. "It was in the _pocket, _you idaron!"

"What's an idaron?"

"A combination of an idiot and a moron! Drawbacks of both, perks of neither!"

"Aw, come on, you know you love me," Crow smirked. "However much of an idaron I apparently am!"

I rolled my eyes, but smiled nonetheless. It was impossible to be mad at this guy for long.

"Hey! Sissy!" a younger voice broke in. I turned, only to be nearly knocked off my feet by a little boy hugging me around the legs. "You're back!"

I laughed. "Hey, Itsuki!" Itsuki was one of the orphaned kids that Crow took care of. He seemed particularly attached to me and hung around me whenever I visited Crow, as I often did. He wasn't really my little brother, but called me "sissy" along with the rest of Crow's orphans, mainly because I had been the only major female figure they had in their lives.

Crow laughed, too. "Y'know, he's been worried sick about you the whole time you've been gone!"

Itsuki flushed red, then let go of me and crossed his arms. "I have not!"

"Don't lie, you know you have!" Crow teased, then said in a high-pitched over-dramatic voice, "'Alex is taking so long! I hope she's okay!' Remember?"

"Was not!" Itsuki cried. "You're a big meanie, Crow!"

"Aw, come on, Crow, stop making fun of him!" I admonished, kneeling down to Itsuki's level to give him a big bear hug. "He wasn't worried sick, just looking out for his almost big sister! Isn't that right, Itsuki?"

Itsuki blinked up at me, then laughed. "Yeah, that's it!"

"That's my lil' bro," I giggled. "Annie's probably looking for you. Why don't you run along?"

"Okay!" he cried, running out the door. "Bye, Sissy! Bye, Crow!"

Crow and I both waved goodbye.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot!" Crow burst out suddenly, startling me a bit. "Yusei was lookin' for ya. He mentioned something about Duel Runners, so he's probably up at the old highway in the slums."

I felt my lips twitch up into a smile quite different than my earlier one. "Yusei was looking for me?"

Crow nodded, visibly confused on why he had to repeat himself. "Yeah, he said that he had your - " A spark of realization flashed in his eyes, and a sly smile slowly spread across his face. "Oh, NOW I see what this is about!"

It took me a moment before I realized Crow's implication. "NO! It's not like that, it's - "

"Oh, don't deny it, Alex," Crow teased. "Everyone can tell you've got a MONSTER crush on the guy, even Jack and Kalin!"

"Agh! BOYS!" I cried, slapping my palm to my face, partly because I was exasperated, and partly because I didn't want Crow to see the visible evidence of the heat that was rushing to my cheeks. "Is that all you can think about? Girls and your cards?"

"Naw, that's just Jack. But don't you think you should probably get going?"

"In fact, I think I will so I won't have to listen to your banter anymore!" I cried, whirling around and strutting out the door.

"Seeya later! You two crazy kids have fun on your DATE!" I could hear him bursting into laughter even through the door I had slammed two seconds ago.

Remember how I said it was hard to stay mad at Crow for long?

That makes it all the easier to get mad at him more often.

* * *

***imagine 4Kids announcer voice saying this next line***

**4Kids Announcer: _Next time, on Reverse of Arcadia: Blast From The Past Part II!_**

**Me: Dude, why do you sound like Kaiba from the original series?**

**4Kids Announcer: _Well, 4Kids was pretty low on funds, so they couldn't hire another - _**

**Me: Oh, so you couldn't afford a new spokesperson for your commercials, but you COULD afford to hire artists and writers to censor out all mention of pain, death, or guns in the English dub of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's? YOU MAKE ME SICK!**

**4Kids bashing FTW! :3**

**Okay, in case you haven't played the game or didn't catch it, Alex is having a massive flashback to her past. No time travel involved. And as you can probably tell, this is turning out to be a Yusei x OC story. I'll have to put that in the summary :3**


	5. Chapter 4: Blast From The Past Part II

**_Chapter 4: Alex - Blast From The Past (Part II)_**

**_

* * *

_**"Oh, Yuuuusei," I called as I rounded the corner of an old building. The road I was on went by the water and led to an old highway overpass where security barely went; in other words, a perfect hiding place for illegal Duel Runners. "You here?"

I let out a short scream as I felt a hand cover my eyes and another arm circle my waist. A familiar chuckle sounded right behind me.

"Guess who."

"Yusei!" I cried, wrenching out of his arms and whirling around to face him. "What was that all about? You nearly scared me right out of my wits!"

Yusei smiled a bit. "Sorry about that. I couldn't resist. Besides, you're always pulling things like that on me, so we're even now."

I couldn't help but smile back; I wasn't actually mad. "Yeah, but I don't play to get _even_. I play to _win!_"

The black-haired boy laughed again. "So this is some kind of battle now?"

"It always has been. Me and Crow have kept a prank war up ever since I came to Martha's. Now you have officially gotten yourself involved, and there's no getting out of it! And now that that's behind us...why were you looking for me?"

"Oh! Crow must have told you that I was finished working on your prototype Duel Runner, right?"

Crow's earlier statement came rushing back into my mind, and my earlier blush came rushing back up to my face. I closed my eyes, looked away, and crossed my arms to direct Yusei's attention away from the redness occupying my cheeks. "Actually, no. He started spouting off about crushes before he could tell me exactly what you wanted to talk to me about."

Yusei sighed. We were both used to Crow and Kalin's numerous attempts to play matchmaker with us. "Up to that again, huh?"

"Yup. Same old, same old."

Another chuckle. "Well, enough about that. I'll be right back." He jogged behind one of the thick concrete beams that held up the overpass, then came back out a few seconds later wheeling a Duel Runner beside him. The glare off the white paint in the midday sun could have blinded someone up close, it was so bright.

"Whoa!" I cried, running over to Yusei and the bike so I could get a better look. "I refuse to believe you did all of this in only two months!"

The Runner itself had a simple frame painted white with golden yellow accents, a dashboard screen for Turbo Duels, and a place to attach a hybrid duel disk. No bells or whistles, but I had made it clear to Yusei when he first started working on this that I didn't want a bunch of frills that would just weigh me down.

I laughed. "Dare I say that this Runner is absolutely flawless, Yusei?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Yusei chuckled. He looked away a bit, but I could tell by the look on his face that the compliment had boosted his ego. "It's not ready for a Turbo Duel just yet, but it should run fine. Wanna take it out for a spin?"

Shrugging, I replied, "Alright! But only if you come with me on yours to make sure I don't kill myself or anyone else!"

* * *

Two hours later, Yusei and I had practically left all of Satellite in our dust. After circling the Old Highway a few times, we decided to get a bit daring and actually ride down some of the lesser-known streets where there was a higher risk of getting caught by Sector Security. We ended up getting the rush of the risky situation and the satisfaction of outsmarting that moron Trudge all at once!

Just as the sun was starting to go down, we ended up back at Daedalus Bridge. As Yusei parked his silver Runner beside White Lightning - the name I had decided on for mine - I made a leap for him just as he was getting off and we both went tumbling to the ground.

"Oof!" he grunted, but then smiled. "What was that for?"

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to hug someone after he does so many awesome things for me?" I asked playfully. "Sorry if I'm going into flashback mode, but you offer me a home at Martha's after my parents were arrested, you teach me how to duel, you let me join the Enforcers, you were always there for me, and now you build me a Duel Runner! I _had_ to give you _something_ back!"

"Well, I'm flattered," Yusei laughed, "but do you think you could get off of me and try again with_out_ tackling me?"

I sighed, "I suppose..." I rolled off of Yusei, then we both heaved ourselves to our feet.

A diabolical plan began to form in my mind, and I smirked just enough so Yusei wouldn't notice. "Okay, let me try that hug again...WHEE!" I flung myself at him as if I were going to let him catch me...and tackled him to the ground again. This time we were both cracking up. I thought I heard footsteps -

"_Whoo-hoo!" _Crow wolf-whistled.

"How cute!" Kalin teased. "Knew you were bold, Yusei, but I didn't know you'd try PDA!"

Yusei and I both turned to glare at them as we stood up faster than you could say "because shut up".

"CROW! KALIN!" I shouted at them angrily. "You'd better shut your mouths before I shut 'em FOR you!"

"This is all a big misunderstanding, guys," Yusei sighed.

"Uh-huh," Crow smirked. "I'm _so_ sure!"

"WHY YOU LITTLE - " I started, but Yusei cut me off.

"So, did you guys only come here to spy on us?" he asked. "Or something else?"

Kalin laughed. "Actually, something else. I was looking for Alex. Our last turf battle is tomorrow, remember? We're finally going to be the only ones to survive this war and rule Satellite! Since I hadn't seen Alex duel in awhile, I wanted to make sure she's up to par before we take this last team on!"

I smirked. "You want a duel? Then you'll get one! But if _I_ win, then you and Crow both agree to stop teasing me and Yusei!"

Kalin smirked back. "It's a deal! Show me what you've got!"

"This oughta be interesting," Crow chuckled. Yusei nodded in agreement.

"Let's get it on!" I said, activating my duel disk and turning back towards Kalin. He followed suit.

_KALIN KESSLER - THE ENFORCING ONES vs. ALEX MCGINTY - INEVITABLE JUDGMENT_

_"Duel!"_

Kalin and I each drew five cards from our decks. My hand wasn't that bad: Lyla the Lightsworn Sorceress, Solar Recharge, Celestia the Lightsworn Angel, Gold Sarcophagus, and Garoth the Lightsworn Warrior.

"My turn! Draw!" Kalin said, drawing another card. "I activate Gold Sarcophagus, which I'm using to remove Cold Wave from play for two turns! Now I summon Vorse Raider and place one card face-down. And I'll leave it at that!"

"My move then. Draw!" I drew another Solar Recharge. Might as well use it! "I activate the Spell Solar Recharge! By discarding Garoth the Lightsworn Warrior, I can draw two cards at the cost of sending two from my deck to my Graveyard!" I drew another Garoth and Jain the Lightsworn Paladin, then Discarded Negate Attack and another Jain. Then I used my second Solar Recharge to do the same with the Garoth I had just drawn, which gave me Wall of Revealing Light and Brain Control at the expense of two Honests - one of my best cards! CRAP!

"I'm activating Gold Sarcophagus as well, Kalin, removing my Judgment Dragon from play for two turns until I can add it to my hand! I also activate Brain Control at the expense of 800 Life Points, letting me take control of your Vorse Raider to use as a tribute for my Celestia the Lightsworn Angel!" I smirked. "And now I'm coming for you directly! Go, Celestial Light Wave!"

"Not so fast!" Kalin cried. "I activate my Quick-Play Spell Fires of Doomsday, which lets me summon two Doomsday Tokens in Defense Position, stopping your direct attack!"

I growled. "Fine! Then I'll just destroy one of your Doomsday Tokens instead!" I continued the attack, then laid Wall of Revealing Light face-down. "Over and out, Kalin!"

"Alright, draw!" Kalin drew a card, then smirked. "I activate the spell card Soul Taker! It allows me to destroy one face-up monster you control!"

"What the crap?" I cried as Celestia shattered off of the field.

"But then again," Kalin said, "Soul Taker's other effect is that you gain 1000 Life Points, so it's not a total loss for you. Now I'm summoning the Pitch-Black Warwolf, which prevents you from activating Trap Cards during your Battle Phase!"

No Trap Cards during the Battle Phase? I had to act fast! "Then here comes a Trap now! Wall of Revealing Light! By paying 2000 Life Points, none of your monsters with over 2000 Attack Points can attack!"

"In that case, I'm skipping my Battle Phase and ending my turn! Your move!" Kalin said.

I drew Royal Decree - a good card, but it would cancel out my Wall of Revealing Light if I used it. Since Kalin didn't have any spells or traps on the field and only one card in his hand, I figured I was safe for now. "I summon Jain the Lightsworn Paladin and use it to attack your Pitch-Black Warwolf! Due to Jain's effect, he gains 300 attack points during the Damage Step, giving him 2100 Attack Points!"

"GAH!" Kalin cried as his Life Point counter reduced to 7500. 500 points wasn't much damage, but at least it was damage.

"That ends my turn," I smirked. "But due to Jain's effect, I have to send the top two cards of my deck to my Graveyard." I checked the top two cards - my other Judgment Dragon and Wulf the Lightsworn Beast! Yes! "Since I'm sending Wulf from my deck to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it! NOW my turn's over!"

Kalin looked extremely peeved, maybe due to the fact that I had two powerhouses on the field and all he had was his Token monster. "My move, then! Draw! I activate Allure of Darkness, which lets me draw two cards and then remove from play one Dark monster in my hand! I'll remove Newdoria from play, then set two cards face-down. That's all for now!"

Since the effect of Gold Sarcophagus had worn off, I got Judgment Dragon added to my hand along with the Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner I had just drawn, but I didn't have enough Lightsworn monsters in my Graveyard to Summon it. I just needed two more and this Duel would be in the bag! "For now, I'm summoning Lyla the Lightsworn Sorceress. Then I'll enter my Battle Phase and use her to destroy your last Doomsday Token!"

I met no resistance from Kalin's two face-downs as Lyla attacked Kalin's final monster. I was still a bit worried about those cards, but I guess I would just have to take the risk. Even if it was a Mirror Force or something like that, that meant next turn I would have enough Lightsworns in my Graveyard to Special Summon my Judgment Dragon! It was a win-win situation.

"Now, Jain the Lightsworn Paladin! Attack!" I commanded.

_"Guaaa!"_ Kalin's Life Points scrolled down to 5700. I was in the lead once again. "Not bad!"

"I'm not done yet! I still have Wulf, and he's coming for you too!"

"GWAAAA!" Ah...I love the sound of our leader getting pummeled by a girl in the morning. Well, technically it was the evening, but still. Kalin's Life Points were now 3600. This was perfect!

I entered my End Phase, and due to the effect of Lyla and Jain, sent the top five cards of my deck to the Graveyard...and two of them were Lightsworns! YES! "Over and out! Your move, Kalin!"

Kalin drew a card, then sighed. "I'm just playing a monster in Defense Mode for now. Back to you."

"Won't do you any good!" I smirked, drawing Rinyan the Lightsworn Rogue from my deck. Not that I would need it! "Now that I have four Lightsworns in my Graveyard..." I looked down at my ace card, then slipped it onto a Monster Card zone on my Duel Disk. "What do you think of this bad boy, Kalin? I special summon JUDGMENT DRAGON! And it's just so happy at being summoned, it can't help but destroy every other card on the field!"

"What?" Kalin cried as his second face-down Vorse Raider and two face-down traps shattered off of the field.

"And now I'm summoning Lumina the Lightsworn Summoner for enough combined attack power to take you down!"

"H-hey, wait a minute!" Kalin cried as his Life Points scrolled to zero without him even noticing. "Didn't you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "So?"

"That's against the rules!"

"No, it's not! I Special Summoned Judgment Dragon and Normal Summoned Lumina! That's legal! Haven't you ever played this game before?"

_VICTORY: ALEX MCGINTY - INEVITABLE JUDGMENT_

"Guys, break it up!" Crow cut in. "Alex won! And that _was_ legal, by the way. But I'd say she's pretty up to par, wouldn't you, Kalin?"

"Definitely," Kalin agreed, now laughing. "Not bad, Alex, not bad at all! How about you become the leader of the Enforcers instead of me?"

"Yeah, like you'd ever let _that_ happen, Kalin," Yusei sighed.

"Oh, shut up, Yusei, we all know I'm kidding!" Kalin said. "But I'd say all of us are in good shape. Tomorrow and we'll have conquered all of Satellite! We're about to bring big things to this town!"

Yusei, Crow and I all stole glances at each other, smiling, then looked back at Kalin.

"You've got that right!" Crow said. "Just let Crow the Bullet teach 'em a thing or two!"

* * *

**First obligatory duel of the story! YAYZ! And, as you may have noticed if you've played the game, I skipped over the two other turf battles from the game, because I don't want the flashback chapters to go on forever.**

**Cookies for everyone who caught the Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged reference! :)**


	6. Chapter 5: Blast From THe Past Part III

_**Chapter 5: Alex - Blast From The Past (Part III)**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Okay, this is it!" Kalin said. All five of us – Kalin, Jack, Crow, Yusei, and me – were grouped outside of the old abandoned warehouse that was home to Team Non-Securities, the final duel gang that _our_ duel gang had to pound into the dust in order to conquer all of Satellite.

"I'm gonna enjoy this," I grinned, stepping up between Crow and Yusei.

"You're all ready, right?" Kalin asked, turning to face us from the entry gate Jack and Yusei had kicked down moments before. "I'm not known for my patience!"

"I'm not askin' you to wait!" Crow smirked. "I'm itchin' to get moving right now!"

Yusei spoke up, "This may be the last turf battle, but its no place for a letup."

"Yeah," I agreed. "We can't get cocky until we beat them." Normally, I would have added, _"and you'd better remember it, Jack!" _but I couldn't spit the words out. This was too serious a situation for making jokes.

"Whoever's out there waiting, let's meet 'em head-on!" Jack said.

"Enforcers, let's go!" Kalin yelled, running through the gate.

"All right!" Crow cried, running in after him.

Jack, Yusei and I all looked at each other, nodded, then ran in after our leader and the village idaron.

* * *

"_The purest of light will illuminate even the darkest of hearts! Golden radiance, envelop the earth! SYNCHRO SUMMON!" _I cried as my third ace dragon began to take shape between my two Judgment Dragons. _"Shine on, LIGHT END DRAGON!"_

I could practically feel those two cowards' fear as they beheld the trio of dragons about to seal my victory.

"Now teach these punks not to mess with the Enforcers! Go, Inevitable Judgment and Sanctuary Sentinel Blaze!"

"GUAAAAAH!" the two guys I had been dueling at once – that's right, two on one, and two guys against one girl, no less, where's the respect? – cried as a bright flash of light came from my dragons, enveloping them and the cold night sky around us. I heard a faint "boom" as the duel disk cuff I had caught them with destroyed their duel disks when their life points hit zero. Smirking, I yanked the cord back and looped it back through my belt, satisfied with my work.

I flashed a raspberry at them with my tongue and a peace sign with my left hand. "Seeya, idarons! Wouldn't wanna be ya!"

I ran across a narrow bridge of metal to another roof. Yusei and Kalin had told me earlier that they were going to confront the leader, but I couldn't seem to find –

"AHHH!"

- them!

I ran as fast as I could towards where I had heard Yusei yell – and found it all too soon.

Kalin was hunched over the side of the building, a broken metal railing on each side of him, and seemed to be struggling with something.

"Yusei!" he yelled downwards. "Hang in there! I'll get you back up here in no time!"

WHAT? Yusei had fallen off the building? Where was that stupid Non-Security responsible? I'll kill him with a rusty spork or worse!

"Kalin!" I heard Yusei, his voice muffled, call back up.

I nearly screamed but clapped a hand over my mouth before it escaped as Kalin's right knee slipped on the concrete, his arm muscles trembling.

"Ugh!" he grunted.

"It's not working! Just let go!" Yusei yelled. "Keep this up and you'll fall too!"

"Are you nuts?" Kalin cried. "I can't just leave you! No way!"

Kalin nearly slipped and fell again. I tried to run over to him and help, but the signal to move my brain was sending to my feet wasn't getting there.

"I'm…DEFINITELY…not letting you…go! You're my…GRAAAH!...friend!"

I heard a sinister chuckle nearby and whipped my head around, only to see a guy in a maroon vest and stupid aviator helmet who I assumed to be the leader of this gang on the other side of another metal bridge.

"Well, isn't that precious!" he sneered at my friends, not noticing me. "You two just warm my heart. I never thought that trap would actually work, but it snared both of you! Just smashing! But I wonder how much longer you can continue this little game of friendship…all I have to do is hurt you just a little to get you to let go, am I right?"

He crossed the bridge, slowly approaching Kalin and Yusei. Kalin turned his head as much as he could and growled at him.

"Let go, Kalin! I'll be okay somehow!" Yusei cried.

"I'll _never_ let go…" Kalin grunted. "…even if it means the end of me!"

That was _it!_ I grabbed the nearest hunk of scrap metal off of the floor and flung it right at the leader's ugly head, where it connected with a resounding _thunk. _(Proof that there was nothing in there.)

"Hey!" he snapped, whirling around in my direction.

"Now I'm _really _angry," I snapped back, striding over and planting myself right in front of the head Non-Security.

"I'm sorry, who the heck are you?" he asked.

"Who _am _I?" I yelled. "I'm PISSED OFF! You're not even going to lay a _finger_ on my friends as long as I'm here!"

"Alex!" Kalin cried. "We're okay here, I've got this! Just put that guy in his place! I wish it could be me, but…I've got my hands full, so to speak!"

"Do I have to _duel_ him, Kalin?" I growled, turning to look at him. "I'd _much_ rather kick him off the building so he knows what it feels – "

"Watch out!" Kalin and Yusei both yelled.

I turned back around just in time to see the leader running at me, one hand outstretched, no doubt intending to try and push _me_ off too! I whirled off to the side just in time, grabbing his forearm with both hands and bracing my feet against the ground to gain leverage, then hurling him away from us. He skidded to a stop on his feet just in front of a door to a stairway that lead to the inside of the building.

"You yellow-bellied, scum-sucking bottom feeder!" I screeched. "That was just dirty!"

"I'll teach you to insult me, little girl!" he yelled, face contorted in anger, taking a single step forward…before the door swung open behind him. He turned to see who or what it was and was greeted by a roundhouse kick from Jack, which sent him tumbling to the floor – or should I say roof? Jack and Crow both came running out.

"The gig is up, Gushizawa!" Jack declared with his trademark cool and collected yet oh-so-cocky look. So _that _was the leader's name. Jack must have learned it from one of his goons.

"Crow!" I yelled over, gesturing for him to come and help me and Kalin. He immediately joined me, and with our combined strength, we were able to get Yusei back onto solid ground.

"Where'd this Gushizawa character go?" I asked Jack when he came over to make sure we were alright. "I've got a bone to pick with him!"

"He bolted before I could even duel him," Jack shrugged.

Kalin sighed. "Such a pathetic guy!"

"Kalin, Alex…" Yusei said. "I'm really sorry about that."

"Yusei, what are you talking about?" Kalin asked incredulously. "We're friends! Friends always help each other out!"

"And to top it off, this area is under our control now," Jack added.

"That's right!" Kalin nodded, smiling. "Finally, Satellite is united!"

Yusei smiled, too. "We finally did it."

"WHOO-HOO!" Crow and I whooped, jumping and pumping a fist in the air.

"Jack, you were a big help!" I laughed. "I wouldn't have been able to take Gushizawa by myself!"

"And I wouldn't have been able to save Yusei alone," Kalin added.

"Exactly," Yusei said. "Everyone contributed, and that's how we were able to win this battle. Isn't that right?"

"Ha, it sure is!" Kalin said. "I tell you, I've got the best friends in the whole world!"

"GROUP HUG!" I cried, jumping Yusei and Kalin, and we all ended up on the ground in a tangled heap of arms and legs, laughing like hyenas. Crow and Jack laughed, too.

And so, the Enforcers were able to fulfill their dream of uniting all of Satellite – wait a minute, what am I doing? I feel like a narrator or something!

* * *

_**A Few Days Later… Gah, why am I narrating again?**_

Yusei smiled. I knew that look, even in a just-for-fun duel like this – he was getting ready to blow someone away. In this case, _me!_

"Now, Nitro Warrior! Send her Lightsworn Rogue to the scrap heap and end this!"

"Aah!" I cried, dropping to my knees as Rinyan shattered off the field and my Life Point counter scrolled to zero.

"You okay?" Yusei asked as he walked over to me and helped me up, smiling in a much different way now.

"Yeah," I laughed. "I just can't believe you beat me _again!_ I can beat Crow, Kalin, even Jack, but never you!"

"Don't remind me about the beating _me_ part," Crow groaned from where he had been lounging against the windowsill watching our duel, rolling his eyes playfully.

Yusei chuckled, too, but didn't say anything about my remark. Too modest, I guess. "Thanks for the duel, Alex. You really whipped me back into shape."

"Yeah," Crow agreed. "Kalin's seemed a bit out of it since the turf battle, too. Maybe everyone's just burned out a bit."

"Probably," I said, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. Deciding, I deactivated my duel disk, slipped my deck back into the holster at my belt, then headed towards the door. "Maybe I should go see how he's doing. Be right back!"

"Okay!"

I ran down about three flights of stairs to the first floor of our hideout. Since I didn't see Kalin anywhere, I headed out the door, looking around.

"Hey, Kalin!" I called. "I wanted to see if you were al – "

Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw next.

Kalin and a young green-haired boy – he couldn't have been older than nine or ten – were standing near the edge of a bluff that went straight down to the sea, seemingly engaged in a duel. The boy looked absolutely terrified.

"Aw, what's wrong?" Kalin mocked him. "Is that all you've got? You're no match for me at all! You don't have any right to call yourself a duelist!"

The boy sniffed and stifled a choked sob. A feeling of pity welled up in my chest; what was Kalin _doing_ to this kid?

"Crying won't make anything better!" Kalin yelled. "Now come on, it's your turn! Go on and bring out that pathetic little card I know you wanna play! It won't save you!"

"Kalin!" I yelled, running towards him. As I reached him, I grabbed his shoulder. "What the heck are you – "

"Get outta my way!" Kalin snapped as he shoved me away from him roughly. The force of the push was enough to make my feet leave the ground for a split second.

"Ack!" I cried, hitting the ground with a thud. A throbbing pain began spreading up my right forearm, where I had absorbed most of the impact, but I chose not to acknowledge it as I scrambled to my feet, shot Kalin an utterly confused glance, and ran back into the building as fast as I could manage. I couldn't get Kalin to stop this on my own.

"Yusei, Crow, Jack!" I yelled as I dashed through the door of the hideout. Thankfully, they were all gathered on the first floor.

"What's wrong, Alex?" Crow asked, obvious concern on his face. "Why so jittery?"

"Alex, you're bleeding!" Yusei exclaimed, running to my side.

"What happened to you?" Jack asked, watching as Yusei tied a strip of cloth around my scraped-up arm. The explanation was just rising in my throat when Crow started bantering again.

"Sounds like somethin' big is goin' down outside, I wonder what hap – "

Gah! Stop talking already!

"KALIN'S DUELING A LITTLE KID, IS TOTALLY CREAMING HIM, IS EXTREMELY ANGRY OR SO I GATHERED BECAUSE HE SHOVED ME AWAY AND _I COULDN'T STOP HIM, YOU IDARON!_"

"What?" Crow exclaimed. "Really? Kalin? We gotta go stop him!"

"NAW DUR, GENIUS!" I screamed.

"Let's go!" Jack yelled, running outside. We all followed him, Yusei sticking a little closer to me than necessary.

When we found Kalin again, there were no monster holograms in sight – the duel was over. And judging by the look on that little boy's face, the outcome had been in Kalin's favor.

"You losers need to quiet hanging around in front of our hideout!" Kalin sneered, slowly walking towards the boy. With every step Kalin took, the boy took one back, fear evident on his tear-stained face. "Listen, if you're going to duel…duel with all you've got!"

"Kalin, stop it!" Crow yelled, reacting faster than we did. He ran over and rammed his shoulder into Kalin's back, knocking him away from the kid. "Hey, you!" he yelled at the boy. "Get outta here!"

The boy didn't waste any time taking off running away back towards the main part of town. My eyes followed him until he was out of sight.

"Whaddya think you're doing, Crow?" Kalin shouted angrily.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing!" Crow yelled back as Jack, Yusei and I ran over. Yusei kept one arm around my shoulder, the other hand resting on my other shoulder, holding me protectively as if he were afraid Kalin would hurt me again. I didn't think anything of it; there was no time. "What do you think you're gaining by doing this!"

Kalin retorted, "Weeding out the weaklings, that's what! And if anyone's not rolling with us, they're our enemies! How else are we gonna conquer all of Satellite?"

"You think we have to start hurting little kids like that, though?" Crow growled. I could understand where Crow's motivation was – after a few years of helping him with his orphans, my maternal instincts had managed to surface early. Seeing – or feeling first-hand – Kalin hurt his own friends was bad enough, but I was strong enough to take it. Hurting kids, though…that was even worse. It was just dirty!

"Yeah, we do!" Kalin answered. "We don't need ANY wannabe duelists around here, no matter how old they are!"

Crow fell silent, a look of both contemplation and disbelief on his face. "…I thought dueling was about the ability to have fun whenever you want, no matter who you are. What gives you the right to take that away from any of us? Huh, Kalin?"

"What?" Kalin exclaimed.

"I'm done," Crow stated simply. "I'm through with this team."

"What?" I cried. Even Kalin looked shocked.

"Crow…" Yusei trailed off. Crow turned around with a glance at me, Jack, and Yusei, but never Kalin, and walked away.

"Hey!" Kalin yelled after him. "I thought we were a team! Crow! You're just gonna turn your back on your friends like that?"

A dead silence hung in the air for a moment. Then Jack looked down, eyes obscured, and walked after Crow.

"Jack!" Kalin yelled. "Hey! Jack! Crow!" He turned towards Yusei and I, an almost pleading look in his eyes.

"Yusei, Alex, we're a team, right? We're friends, right?" he asked desperately.

Yusei was silent. Meanwhile, my thoughts were a whirlwind.

This Kalin was _not_ my friend Kalin. Not the Kalin who just wanted to make Satellite safe for everyone. The Kalin who had saved Yusei's life. The Kalin I had fought with for so long. The Kalin I had dueling with, won with, been defeated with, laughed with…

This Kalin was willing to hurt me, young children, and probably anyone else who got in his way.

"Come on, say something!" Kalin pleaded.

I looked down, a few strands of my unruly ponytail falling into my face, then wrenched out of Yusei's arms and began walking away, too.

"Alex…"

I turned at the sound of Yusei's voice. The look in his eyes was similar to Kalin's: pleading.

I hardened my heart and let it roll off my back.

After giving Yusei and Kalin each a long look, I slowly turned around again and forced myself to walk away, all the while feeling my hardened heart crumbling to bits.

* * *

_**The Next Day… I don't really care that I'm failing at breaking this narrating habit…**_

I was just as shaken up as I had been yesterday. I had gone straight to Crow's after the fight, hoping to find solace, but instead only finding an empty shack and an empty space outside where Blackbird, his Runner, had been. I had decided to take up his idea as well, and had ridden White Lightning around Satellite the whole night. My only semi-experienced hands and the ever-present danger of getting caught by Security made it impossible to think about anything other than mechanics and possible escape routes – exactly the point of the ride. To not think about the incident until I was with a friend – a friend who _hadn't_ gone insane – again.

But now it was morning, I couldn't ride forever, and the pain was back.

Furious at myself that I hadn't been able to block it out for good, I parked my duel runner in a narrow alley and headed back up the road to Daedalus Bridge, pretending that the cracks in the pavement were absolutely fascinating.

"Sissy!" Itsuki cried as I rounded the corner of Crow's place. "You haven't been here in forever!"

I cracked a humorless smile. "It's only been three days since I was here last, Itsuki."

He looked up, as if trying to remember something. "Oh…yeah. But it felt like forever!"

"Where's Crow? I looked all night, but I couldn't find him anywhere.

"He's up on the bridge," Itsuki pointed. "He seemed pretty down in the dumps. Did he get into a fight or something?"

I sighed. "You have no idea…I need to talk to him. I'll catch you later, okay, little bro?"

"Okay! Bye, Sissy!"

I quickly scaled the bridge after waving goodbye to Itsuki, and sure enough, there sat Crow where the unfinished bridge ended, looking out into the red morning sky. If he had heard me approach, he didn't show it.

I sat next to him. Although we acknowledged each other with a quick glance, we didn't say anything.

And it was silent…

And silent…

And silent…

And just when I thought the silence was going to drive me insane, he finally spoke.

"Alex…you remember the story I told you, about the man who tried to liberate Satellite, right?" He still didn't look at me.

I nodded, looking ahead, too. Crow had told me a few years ago, and we had often retold it to his orphans together. "Yeah, Crow. I remember."

Then I began reciting:

"A long time ago, a man came riding into town on a very strange looking Duel Runner. He would come to this exact spot and just stare off into the distance towards the city. Every single day, without fail. He's just come and look."

Crow took over. "But one day, he stopped coming. He found a purpose in life. He knew he had to build a bridge to connect Satellite with the city…Daedalus Bridge. Everybody said it couldn't be done and that he was crazy for even thinking about it."

I looked down at the wooden planks of the bridge, tracing the spot beside me with my fingertips. "But he never gave up…those people who made fun of him at first gradually started thinking maybe, maybe he would finish it…for those people with no bright future, the bridge became their symbol of hope." I then muttered softly, "Our symbol of hope…"

"Unfortunately, some folks showed up that didn't like the idea of this new bridge being built," Crow continued. "Securities. Construction was stopped and the person who started it all hit the top of the most wanted list. Everyone gave up on the idea and said it was doomed from the start. They figured he'd get arrested. Eventually, Securities did catch up to him. He had two options…one was to turn himself in and spend his life in a cell…or he could turn himself into a living legend."

Together, just as we did when telling it to the kids, we said:

"_He chose to become a legend."_

"A legend not bound by common sense or any kind of powers…that's why he jumped," I said softly. "Nobody knows what happened to him after that."

"But if you really want to find him…"

"Just look in your heart," we finished together, finally turning to look at each other. It was quiet for a moment.

"I have so much respect for him and what he tried to do…" Crow murmured, looking away from me again. "He's basically the reason I started dueling in the first place. But now…after Kalin…" He trailed off.

I nodded, looking away also and squeezing my eyes shut. My throat was burning and my eyes were dampening. "I know…I never thought that…the team would end this way and I would have to…I just couldn't…" My voice broke on the last word. Aw, crap, come on! I thought I was stronger than this! I couldn't even remember the last time I had cried!

"Alex?" Crow asked, confusion in his voice. I quickly jammed the heels of my hands into my eyes to try and force the tears back.

"C'mere," he whispered, pulling me into a comforting hug.

Letting go, I buried my face into his vest.

And I cried.

I didn't try to talk, didn't think, just _cried. _I felt weaker, more defenseless, than I ever had, but I didn't care.

I didn't know how long we were there, and it didn't really matter, anyway. At least, until –

"CROW!" a little-girl type voice that I recognized as Itsuki's friend Annie's cried. Crow and I quickly turned and stood, surprised, and I dragged my intact left forearm across my face to erase as much evidence of my emotional splurge that I could. "Oh, Crow, thank goodness you're here!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Crow said as Annie stopped in front of us, breathing hard form having climbed all the way up the bridge. "Calm down! What's up?"

"Something real bad!" Annie panicked. "Kalin is fighting against Securities all by himself!"

"What?" Crow cried.

"Where?" I echoed.

"In the building that used to be the hideout for one of the duel gangs you guys beat, Team Black 'n' Blue!"

"GAH! That _idiot!_" Crow yelled, sounding angry now. "What's he thinking?" He turned to me, a new fierceness in his eyes. "Alex! Get everyone together and let's go help Kalin! I'll go look for Jack, you go find Yusei! Last I checked he was at the hideout, if not, just look around! Meet back up at the hideout when you find him! I'm countin' on ya!"

I was stunned by Crow's outburst for a moment, but then nodded. "Right!"

All three of us ran back down the bridge, and while Annie ran off to find Itsuki again, Crow and I split paths, him running to the north and me running west towards the Enforcers' – no, our – hideout.

I wasn't sure I would be able to handle facing Yusei again after blatantly walking away from him like that. I wasn't sure that I would be able to handle facing Kalin again after witnessing what he had done yesterday, and again after I blatantly walked away from him.

But whether I could handle it or not, it had to be done. Kalin may have made a stupid mistake, but he was still my friend, and I couldn't just ditch him like I almost did.

I just hoped I wasn't too late…

* * *

**Yeah, yeah, most cliché chapter-ending line ever, I know. But you lubves me anyway, right? *puppy dog eyes* 83**


	7. Chapter 6: Blast From The Past Part IV

_**Chapter 6: Alex - Blast From The Past (Part IV)**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Yusei Fudo!" I yelled, bursting in through the door of the hideout. "Get out here!"

"What's wrong, Alex?"

I nearly screamed, whirling around to see Yusei right behind me, not a couple of feet away.

Searching indigo eyes studied my face intently. "You look a little flustered…are you okay?"

"Okay?" I asked incredulously. "You think I'm _okay?_ Are you kidding? I ran out on you and Kalin yesterday and you're asking _me_ if _I'm okay? _You're not mad?"

"Why would I be?"

"AGH! Yusei, you're driving me insane! I'm beating myself up over this and you're acting like everything's just peachy! At least yell at me and tell me what a rotten friend I was!"

Yusei sighed. "Alex, I'd be lying if I did. How could I say that about one of my best friends when she hadn't done anything to earn the title _rotten_ _friend?_ I'd probably have done the same thing if I had your personality. Now please stop overreacting – I hate seeing you like this."

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, then looked back up at Yusei. "Okay. I'm okay now…but I really am sor – never mind."

"Okay, now that's out of the way…what's wrong?"

"KALIN'S TAKING ON SECTOR SECURITY BY HIMSELF, THE IDARON!" I yelled, breaking out of my calm demeanor that lasted for a total of four seconds.

Yusei started. "What? Kalin…? And Securities? I thought he just went out for a walk or something! What is he thinking…?"

"Alex!"

Yusei and I both turned just in time to see Crow run along with Jack close behind.

"Hey, Yusei, too!" Crow added. "Did ya hear the news?"

"Yeah," Yusei said. "Kalin left without saying anything a little while ago. I had no idea he was thinking about doing something like this…"

"Well, we don't exactly have time to talk about it now," Jack cried. "Let's hurry and help Kalin!"

"Okay!" Crow said. "I heard he was in the building that used to be Team Black 'n' Blue's hideout!"

"Let's hurry," Yusei said, "before it's too late!"

With no time to waste, we hurried outside.

* * *

"Okay, let's split up here!" I immediately took charge as we made it into the long-abandoned building – I think it used to be a motel or something.

"I'll check the basement!" Crow volunteered, turning and running towards a nearby flight of stairs. "You three head that way!"

"Alright!" Yusei called after him, then turned back to us. "Jack and I'll head upstairs from this way! If he hasn't been caught, he might still be on the top floor. Alex, you follow us from a different stairwell so we'll be less noticeable."

So much for taking charge.

"Just make sure no Securities spot you!" Jack warned as he and Yusei headed up the stairway at the other extreme side of the building.

"I'm more experienced than that, Jackie!" I said, starting to head into another door that lead to where the emergency stairs had been.

"Be careful!" Yusei called, giving me a meaningful look before following Jack up the staircase.

I managed to get up the stairs without running into any Security goons, but it was when I hit the second and third floors that they really started to crawl out of the woodwork. I managed to slip past the ones on the third floor via a crack in the wall between the rooms. It was then that I saw Yusei at the far end of the hall, crouched in front of a door with the side of his head pressed against it. Eavesdropping.

I quietly crept up to him.

"Hey," I whispered, so as to not draw the attention of the Securities just around the corner.

"This must be it, Alex," he whispered back, standing upright. "I hear Kalin's voice coming from inside. You ready?"

"Let's do this."

Yusei opened the door and we ran inside, only to be greeted by the sight of a Security guard lying at Kalin's feet.

"OH!" I gasped, but immediately clapped a hand over my mouth as Kalin whirled around.

"Kalin!" Yusei cried.

"Oh, it's…you guys," Kalin said quietly.

"What are you doing?" Yusei asked, visibly shocked, as I ran over to the Security guard and placed two fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse. I felt one, but it was weak.

"What does it look like?" Kalin replied, as if the answer were obvious. "You know, I finally realized something…if we can defeat Sector Security, we'll really have conquered all of Satellite! Come on, guys, join me! Let's take these guys on!"

"You're not thinking straight, Kalin!" I snapped.

"We can't expect to win against them all!" Yusei agreed.

All three of us froze as we heard the last sound we wanted to hear: sirens.

"Oh, snap!" I groaned, slapping my palm to my face

"A big group of Securities is heading this way!" Yusei cried. "Let's get out of here and head for the hideout!"

"Tsk!" Kalin scoffed.

Yusei ignored him. "Alex, you and Kalin head back to the hideout straight away. I'll be right behind you as soon as I find Crow and Jack!"

"Can do!" I cried, grabbing Kalin before he could protest and practically dragging him down the fire escape stairs on the side of the building out the window.

"Hey, Alex…" Kalin said as we hit the ground and started back towards the hideout. "I'm sorry about your arm yesterday…" He eyed the cloth-bound wound on my arm, still stinging but no longer bothering me.

We might have possibly had a moment there, but then the sirens started again.

"Repent later, run now!" I commanded, and we both took off again.

* * *

"Rats, Securities!" Kalin mumbled, walking around the table in the top room of our hideout, on which rested a map of who controlled which areas of Satellite. "And tons of them! They can't do anything without ganging up and bullying people!"

"Speak for yourself!" I snapped from my seat on the windowsill.

I heard footsteps and looked towards the door. Yusei, Crow, and Jack were all standing there.

"I see you two made it back safely," Yusei said, sounding relieved.

"There's a whole lot of Securities out there, though," Jack said sensibly. "This is not a time to let our guard down."

"Yeah," Crow agreed. "We should just lay low until all this blows over."

"What?" Kalin fumed. "What are you talking about? I know we can't take them all on at once, but if we take them out little by little, we can win! We're the Enforcers! It should be no problem or us!"

"Newsflash, Kalin!" I hopped up and joined Yusei. "We're human like everyone else! And it's not humanly possible to take on that many Securities, even in intervals!"

"Yeah! Don't go getting overconfident!" Crow said. "Sure, we're a serious team, but goin' up against all of them would just be suicide!"

"Well, we won't know unless we try!" Kalin retorted. "It's not like there's an infinite number of them, you know!"

"A_nother_ newsflash, Kalin!" I sighed, exasperated. "This is a _card game! _And these people aren't like Satellites who have to scavenge for a duel disk, they're from New Domino! Every time we beat one little segment of them and destroy their duel disks with our cuffs, like you suggested, another one'll just take their place, and by the time we beat _them_, the originals will be back with new ones! We can't keep them down forever just by beating them in a duel!"

"We gotta think carefully before diving into a battle like this!" Crow continued. "The safety of Satellite is riding on our shoulders!"

Kalin just grunted, and Yusei was silent.

"Well," Jack finally spoke, "I think we should at least stay here today. If we're out and about, we could be spotted at any time."

I flinched, hearing the sound of sirens. They were louder than earlier…they were closer. They'd found us!

"No way!" Crow exclaimed, looking out the window. "Oh, man, there's a ton of Securities out there!"

"_We know you're in there!" _a voice, obviously belonging to a Security, echoed from outside. _"Come out peacefully with your hands up!"_

Jack said, "Looks like we've got no way out…"

Yusei was still silent, just looking down, seemingly deep in thought. Worried, I placed a hand on his arm; when he didn't respond, I drew it back, feeling a bit foolish.

"Well, you know what we've gotta do now," Kalin said. "Let's just take 'em out like I said! We can do it!"

"No, we can't…" Yusei muttered, startling me. "There's no way…"

"What?" Kalin growled angrily.

"Even if all of us fight, there's no way we can win this one," Yusei continued. "Things will get out of hand and innocent bystanders could get hurt. I have an idea…"

"Oh, really," Jack said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "And how do you propose to get us out of this one?"

"I can't tell you," Yusei replied. "Just trust me."

"Are you sure about this?" Crow asked skeptically.

"Why can't we just do this the easy way and take 'em by force?" Kalin asked.

"Idiot," I growled.

"I'm gonna go with Yusei's idea, whatever it is," Crow said. "If we resist, you know the losses are gonna be huge."

"Yeah," Jack continued. "Even if we escape this time, we'll have an even _bigger_ mess to get ourselves out of next time."

Kalin grunted. "So what's the plan then?"

Yusei instructed, "Crow, Jack, Kalin…you three sneak out the back without the Securities noticing. Go to the bowling alley. I'll meet up with you there. Alex, you come with me."

"So we're splitting up, then," Crow sighed, looking down, worry on his face. He looked back up. "Okay. Yusei, Alex, don't go and get yourselves caught."

"Yeah, don't do anything crazy," Jack added.

Kalin said nothing for a moment. "…all right, fine. But you two better show up at the bowling alley later."

The three boys ran out of the room, leaving Yusei and me alone.

"Okay," Yusei said, looking at me. "Come with me, Alex. I'll explain."

"Alright," I said, allowing him to lead me down the stairs. Before we exited the stairwell, Yusei leaned against the door to prevent me from going any farther.

"So, Yusei…what's this plan of yours?" I asked, leaning against the wall right next to him.

"Alex…I'm turning myself in."

"_WHAT!_" I half-whispered, half-screamed, so as to not alert the Securities that someone was still in the building. "What are you _thinking_, Yusei?"

"If I say I'm the leader," he said, "they'll just arrest me and you guys can avoid trouble. When all the Securities are gone, go to the bowling alley and explain what happened."

"Yusei," I said, taking a step towards him, "I _can't_ let you do this!"

"You guys are all irreplaceable friends," Yusei said, looking straight into my eyes. "So I'm gonna do whatever I can to make sure you're safe. Our bond is the most important thing to me."

I stared back at him. "Yusei, this is ridiculous! We've been through everything Satellite threw at us, and we've always pushed through! We'll get through it...I don't know how, but we'll manage _somehow!_ I…I…"

I shook my head, flustered, and took a step back. "If you turn yourself in as the leader of the Enforcers, they'll lock you up for life or _worse! _This may sound totally cheesy and stupid, and maybe I'm just being selfish, but I…I…I don't want to lose you!"

"You think this is any easier for me?" Yusei asked quietly. "I don't want to lose you either. I don't want to lose any of you. But this isn't about what either you or me want...your guys' safety takes top priority."

"Nothing I say is going to make you change your mind, is it?" I asked quietly.

He shook his head. "Sorry to make you the bearer of bad news, Alex, but I need your help on this one…do you have my back?"

Slowly, I nodded. "You're a complete idiot for even thinking about doing this, but…against my better judgment…I'll tell them."

"Good."

We exited the stairwell and were greeted by flashing red and blue lights sifting in through the windows, belonging to the Securities' Runners. I hated every last one of them with every fiber of my being.

"As soon as they get me," Yusei said quietly, "make a bolt for it and go meet up with the others."

"Okay," I replied just as quietly.

Yusei and I stepped outside. I lifted my arm to lessen the bright glare of the Security lights.

"I'm the leader of the Enforcers!" Yusei announced, addressing the ring of Securities spread out around the hideout. "I'm the one who attacked Sector Security! Nobody else had anything to do with it."

The Security guard who had been by the door said nothing.

"Well? Go ahead! Arrest me!" Yusei persisted.

The Security stepped forward. "You're right. Our orders were to capture the leader of the Enforcers…which is exactly why we don't need you guys anymore. Go home."

"What?" Yusei cried. "What are you talking about?"

The Security pointed over to the left. "Look over there."

Yusei and I both looked.

Held between two Securities was a struggling, fuming Kalin.

I stared back at the Security questioningly, horror probably clearly visible on my face.

"By the way," he said, "we already sent the other two who were with him home. They tried to resist, but it was…futile. Like I said, we don't need you two, either, so scram!"

I made the later-known mistake of looking back at Kalin. He looked up then and met my eyes in a glare of pure hatred. He then switched it over to Yusei.

"Yusei!" he yelled. "You sold me out, didn't you? I can't believe you would betray me!"

"Kalin…no!" Yusei countered. "I didn't…I could never…!"

"Let's get out of here!" the Security we had been talking to ordered, and the other Securities began to move out, taking Kalin with them.

Now out of sight, I could still hear Kalin scream:

"_YUSEI! YOU TRAITOR, I'LL KILL YOU!"_

Yusei was looking down, trembling.

"No…Kalin, I…"

Tentatively, I placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't shrug it off, so I took his hand in my free hand.

I couldn't think of anything to say. What _could_ I say after that?

Even though the Enforcers had been able to conquer all of Satellite…that was going to be our final achievement together.

**

* * *

**

Yusei and I went back to Crow's to spend the night. None of us wanted to be alone now. We didn't know where Jack had gone.

"I hope Kalin's okay…" was the only thing Crow said as we sat in near silence.

Yusei and I didn't respond. The silence spoke for itself. We were all worried, but there was nothing we could do to help Kalin now.

"We'd better call it a day," Yusei finally spoke.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted," I sighed.

"I'm gonna get some rest, too," Crow agreed quietly.

Yusei and I took Crow's spare futon, and practically as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was dreaming.

* * *

"_Alex…Alex…"_

_Huh? Who was that?_

"_Alex, can you hear me?"_

_I answered, "Yes, I can!"_

"_Ah…I see I've finally gotten through to you."_

_A bright flash of light surrounded me, and suddenly I was standing in a beautiful forest. Light filtered through the trees, casting the air around me in an emerald glow. A bright outline of a winged, but obviously humanoid, figure was in front of me. I couldn't look at her directly because of the pure white light she was giving off._

"_Where am I?" I asked her._

"_This is the Spirit World of all Duel Monsters," she told me. "This may all seem like a dream to you, but it's not a dream. It's real. This is where the spirits of the Duel Monsters live. They all used to live here in peace. But now, an evil presence is making its way ever closer to this world, trying to corrupt this land and control it for its own evil ways. What's more, it has the same fate in mind for the human world. If the Spirit World is overtaken, the human world will surely follow."_

"_What? What is this evil force? And how do I stop it?" I asked._

"_There is a girl in the human world who is the only person that can save this land. She is connected with the Spirit World and her pure heart can drive back the evil that threatens us. However, she is still young and does not yet have the courage she needs to face this evil alone. While not as powerful as she is, you also have a soul that is connected to this world. Please go and do whatever you can to aid her, and together protect this world from the evil that threatens to destroy it..."_

_The figure began to fade away._

"_Wait, don't go!" I cried._ _The figure brightened again._

"_Yes?"_

"_Who are you?"_

"_I am merely a messenger of the Ancient Fairy Dragon, and have also pledged my service to you in your world."_

"_Ancient Fairy Dragon…? Who's that? And what do you mean by 'pledged my service to you in your world'?"_

"_All will be revealed in time, child…"_

_

* * *

_

"WAIT!" I cried as I jolted awake, breathing hard. I was chilled from a cold sweat that covered my skin.

"WAAH!"

_Thud._

"Hey!" Crow groaned as he sat up on the floor, rubbing the back of his head. "What's up that made you scream like that, Alex?"

"What's wrong?" Yusei asked from beside me, worry coating his voice.

Crow got up and turned towards me, mouth open for an angry retort, but then he jerked back. "Whoa, you're sweating like crazy! Are you okay?"

His gaze flickered from me to Yusei, then his eyes narrowed. "Alright, what were you two doing?"

My face reddened, and I could feel heat coming from Yusei's as well.

"IDARON!" I wailed. "WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING!" I took a deep breath, then continued in a normal voice. "To answer your question, though, yes, I am okay."

Yusei didn't look convinced. "You looked like you were sleeping pretty heavily. You're sure you're okay?"

"Yusei, stop worrying," I sighed, standing up and slipping my boots on. "I'm fine."

"Alright…if you're sure," Yusei said. He still looked doubtful, but probably knew I wasn't going to spill it anyway.

After we had gotten up and at it, Yusei went out to go find Jack. I was going to go tell Martha what had happened, and Crow was going to scope out the area around our hideout and try to get the lowdown on what was going on with Sector Security and us.

"Alright, spill it!" Crow smirked as soon as we got outside. "You and me both know you're not really okay! Yusei may have let it go, but he's not as persistent as me!"

I sighed, aggravated. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope," he crossed his arms smugly.

"Fine, then…" I remembered what that strange person had said in my dream, that it wasn't a dream at all. But I couldn't just come out and say that to Crow or he'd think I was nuts. "I had a really strange dream…"

"A dream, huh?"

"No, it wasn't a dream," I tried to ease into it. "I was in the Duel Monsters Spirit World and – "

"Okay, hold up," Crow interrupted. "I'm confused. You were in the _Spirit World? _Maybe it was some kind of message or somethin'." He laughed. "The Spirit World...meh, it's probably just a dream. There's no "world crisis" goin' on!"

Maybe he was right…maybe it had just been a dream. Or maybe I was just going crazy - all the stress of the past few days finally going to my head.

"Anyway," Crow changed the subject, "there sure are a lot of Securities around here recently. I don't know if they're after _us _specifically or not, but I wouldn't get too close to 'em if I were you. We'll find out where Kalin is and go talk to him after things cool down a bit. I don't know if there's anything we can even do, though…not to mention there's a lot of rumors about some weird guys roaming around…we'll have to be a lot more careful. Stay sharp, 'kay?"

"No prob!" I called after him as he began running east towards the other side of town. "Catch you later!"

"Okay, seeya!" Crow waved, and soon he was out of sight.

I turned and started in the direction I knew led to Martha's, but stopped in my tracks as I saw another man headed towards me. He had weirdly-styled flippy auburn hair, and judging by the way he was dressed, was probably a city big-shot. I tried to ignore him and kept on walking, but he refused to ignore me.

"Nice to meet you," he greeted me. "I'm Sayer of the Arcadia Movement. I'd like to talk to you for a moment…do you have a few minutes?"

"Not really," I replied warily. "I'm in a hurry."

This "Sayer" character chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not going to harm you. I know you've heard the rumors going around about us…but trust me, I'm not anyone to be scared of in any way."

"Arcadia? Never heard of it. So the rumor Crow told me was about you people, huh?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I don't think you're as harmless as you say you are."

"But if we weren't, why would I have told you exactly who I was?" he countered. Darn, he was slick. "So what do you say? Will you trust me?"

"No," I answered icily.

Sayer studied my eyes carefully. "I see… I'm sorry it had to come to this, but I suppose I'll have to take you by force!"

"And how exactly do you plan on – "

Sayer pulled a card from the deck holster at his belt and held it up. It was Brain Control. Seriously? He actually thought he could get me to do whatever it is he wanted with a –

Bright flashes of light engulfed my vision. Pain – searing, mind-numbing _pain_ – ripped from my head through my whole body. I screamed, falling to my knees.

My childhood at Martha's, run-ins with Security, the turf battles with the Enforcers, my first ride on a Duel Runner, Annie, Itsuki, Crow, Jack, Kalin – all my memories were burning away before my eyes. Fighting desperately against the intruder in my mind, I clung onto the one name that hadn't been ripped from me yet.

"YUSEI!" I shrieked.

"Go ahead, scream all you want," Sayer laughed darkly. "Your little boyfriend can't save you! Just stop trying to resist…"

"N-no!" I cried, trying to hold onto what little part of myself I had left and failing. "Y-you…can't…AAH!"

The strange energy invading my mind finally finished its job, and I saw black.

* * *

Gasping, my eyes flew open and I jerked upward, but had to lie down again not a second later because I was so lightheaded.

"How could I forget…" I heard myself breathe out. Two years ago, me, Yusei, and all of our friends had fought together side-by-side in Satellite. And I had forgotten…or had been forced to forget…!

"Sayer!" Seira's panicked voice cried. "The subject is awake now!"

Sayer!

I struggled to open my eyes, and managed to open them enough to see the blurry outline of Sayer's body, just splotches of black, green, and auburn through my unfocused vision. I glared at him as long as I could manage before I had to close my eyes again.

Sayer groaned in exasperation. "We're going to need a more powerful regiment of brainwashing if the subject is to do our bidding. In order to strengthen the resistance when coming into contact with close friends…"

Close friends...

"Yusei…" I muttered.

"What?" Sayer gasped. "The effect is wearing off? Speed up the process! If the subject breaks free, things could get very messy! Increase the output! Make sure the brainwashing is never again reversed!"

"Sir!" Seira cried. "The subject's life signs are too weak! It's dangerous!"

"To a certain extent, I'm not worried about the danger!" Sayer yelled.

Just great…

"_Would somebody…somebody, please…I'm being held prisoner in the Spirit World…please help me…somebody…please listen to me!"_

_

* * *

_***Reads over Alex x Yusei scene* O.o Anyone want some nachos to go with this cheesiness?**


	8. Chapter 7: The Escape

_**Chapter Seven: Alex – The Escape**_

_**

* * *

**_

"_Hello?" I called, walking through the Ancient Forest I knew to be part of the Spirit World, having already been there twice before. "I heard you calling for help…who are you?"_

_I rounded another tree and came nose-to-nose with a white lion! I shrieked, stumbling back a few paces._

_The lion chuckled. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized in a deep, wild voice. I blinked._

"_O-kay…I'm fairly sure _you _weren't the one calling me…"_

"_I was! You're Alex, right?" A young girl with green pigtails ran out from behind the lion along with…a little purple-haired kid in a Dark Magician outfit? "My name's Luna, I'm so glad my words reached you!"_

"_You don't look like you need rescuing!" I cried._

_She laughed nervously. "Well, yeah, about that…Regulus and Torunka got to me before you could. Sorry."_

"_Regulus and Torunka?"_

"_I am Regulus," the lion said, stepping forward. "And any friend to the young Signer girl is a friend of mine."_

"_And I'm Torunka!" the mini Dark Magician cried, jumping up. "And don't let this tiny body I'm stuck in fool you, I'm actually a very powerful spellcaster! One of the most powerful in the Spirit World, if I do say so myself!"_

_Luna rolled her eyes. "He's a bit exasperating, isn't he?" Torunka didn't seem to notice her remark, as he was still busy ranting, but Regulus and I both laughed._

"_Oh, your uniform…" Luna noticed. "You're in the Arcadia Movement? My brother and I were being held there, too, but some friends of Yusei's helped us escape before I came here…I won't be able to help you out when we get back to the human world. I'm sorry…"_

"_You know Yusei Fudo?" Then something hit me. "Wait! The human world? Can I go back? I mean…I thought Sayer had kind of…you know…killed me?"_

_Torunka laughed. "No way, the Duel Spirits would never let that happen! The Lightsworns would have burst out of your deck and taken the guy down as soon as let him hurt you!"_

"…_Torunka, I don't have my real deck with me."_

_He sweatdropped. "Oh…"_

"_Don't worry," Regulus said. "Although you came very close, you're still very much part of your world. You have your friend Seira to thank for that. And I'm sure another familiar face will be waiting to help you escape from Arcadia…"_

_

* * *

_

My eyes flew open. No longer in the Spirit World, I was now looking around at the beige walls of a room I recognized as an Arcadia Movement cell.

I slung my legs over the side of the bed I was on and stood up, but nearly sank to my knees as soon as my feet hit the floor – an unexpected weakness had hit me, and my head spun for a moment.

"Sayer…" I growled, holding onto the nearby windowsill as I waited for it to pass. That lowlife had nearly killed me all for the sake of his precious Spirit World research!

Eventually, I was able to stand and made my way over to the door…and of COURSE it was locked!

"GAH!" I screamed. "Will someone get me out of here?"

Still not fully accepting defeat, I slammed my fist against the door and sighed, aggravated. How was I supposed to get out of here if I couldn't even get the flippin' door open?

As if in answer, the door slid open, only to reveal Seira standing there!

"Seira?" I blinked. "What are you – "

"Listen, Alex," she said briskly. This was the first time she hadn't referred to me as _the subject. _"I managed to convince Sayer to stop your brainwashing this time, but he's not going to be so quick to listen to me next time. He was waiting for you to wake up so he could start the next round – only this time strong enough that it could either never be reversed or it would kill you. I'll cover for you as long as I can while you get out of here, alright?"

I knew I didn't have time to question her. "Thanks…Seira."

She half-smiled humorlessly at me. "A few years ago, we killed a young boy due to our brainwashing techniques…I couldn't let Sayer make the same mistake again. Now go!"

I nodded, running by her out the door and down the hall as she hurried in the opposite direction.

_BANG BANG BANG._

I jerked to a stop.

"Hey!" a muffled voice yelled from the other side of a door right in front of me. "Someone lemme outta here! If I miss my deadline, my editor-in-chief'll blow his top! Jack, please save me!...Jack…"

Had this someone been kidnapped by the Arcadia Movement, too? I ran up and pressed the button that unlocked the door, and it slid open, revealing – that black-haired reporter girl with the funny glasses that had been at the Fortune Cup! What had her name been again…? Carly! That was it!

"Thanks!" she sighed happily, exiting the room. "I owe you one! Hey, wait, I have this funny feeling like I've seen you before…"

"I was at the Fortune Cup," I explained, "and a few rooms down from you a few seconds ago."

"Oh, now I remember!" she cried. "But…why on earth was an Arcadia Movement duelist thrown into a cell? Oh, I smell a scoop! Time to get fact-hunting!" She turned and started running away, something fluttering out of her waist bag and onto the ground in the process. "Well, that's what I should say, but if I stick around here, I'm bound to get caught again! Anyway, thanks a million! See you around!"

By the time I thought to call back over to her and tell her about the paper, she was already around the next corner. Curious, and more than willing to embrace my inner snoop, I read:

"_Jack Atlas, the former king and Sector Security Director Goodwin are both originally from Satellite!"_

Jack…Jack Atlas? As in ENFORCERS Jack Atlas? And the director of Sector Security, too…isn't that ironic?

Okay, think later, find a way out now!

I ran to the elevator that lead to the ground floor, which was visible from the railed galleries that made past the different floors. I tried pressing the button to go down and – BEEEP. The door didn't open, by the way. Are you kidding me? It had to be electronically locked! Oh, well – there had to be a staircase SOMEWHERE, right?

I set off down the gallery again, but didn't run this time – I didn't want to make it look like I was in a hurry.

Just as I reached a corner that led off the gallery into an inner hallway, I heard footsteps. Very close footsteps. Someone was right around the corner, and whoever it, judging by the sound of their steps, stopped just as I did…as if they were mirroring my every move. Oh please, oh please, oh PLEASE let it not be Sayer…!

I froze, not daring to move, my breathing erratic. I didn't have my deck with me, so I couldn't rely on my Duel Spirits for protection if whoever was around that corner turned out to be an enemy. I didn't even have my Arcadia Movement deck on me anywhere!...I quickly shook the thought out of my head. I wouldn't want to call upon those Duel Spirits, anyway. They weren't rightfully mine to command, like the Lightsworns were, and most of them were monsters that Sayer himself and the rest of the Arcadia Movement probably used. I wanted nothing to do with them anymore…the mere thought sickened me…

Perhaps not thinking clearly, but not caring either way, I decided to just go for it and face whatever was obviously waiting for me to move head-on. Forcing my feet to move, I ran around the corner.

"Ugh!"

Oops. I hadn't meant to ram straight into whoever it was. Guess I didn't try to stop hard enough. I looked up to see who –

"Yusei?" I gasped as my eyes met two indigo blue ones that were staring at me in bewilderment. No doubt about it, it was him!

"Alex?" he cried.

Suddenly mute, I tried to speak. So many things wanted to come out, so many thoughts whirring through my mind, so much déjà vu, so many memories of him just now coming back…

"Hey, Yus," I managed to choke out.

It was strange – now that I was finally reunited with my oldest friend after _two years,_ I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

Yusei apparently wasn't giving me a choice in the matter, because just as I thought I was finally going to get my breathing back to normal, I felt him grab me in an embrace so tight it almost physically hurt.

Not that I was complaining.

"I'm so glad you're okay…" he said quietly.

Two years…it had been _way_ too long. I wrapped my arms around his back, leaned into him and reveled in the sense of absolute security enveloping me. Yusei's shirt…his hair…his scent…this was no dream.

I couldn't think of a reply to his statement, but I don't think I really needed to say anything.

Eventually, to my chagrin, he pulled back to look down at me.

"I was so – you had everyone worried when you disappeared like that. Why are you here? What's been going on…?"

"I – "

"Well, isn't this touching!"

Utter dread crept through my being as we broke apart and turned to face the newcomer. I recognized that voice, and never wanted to hear it again as long as I lived. In fact, I rather felt like punching said voice's owner in the face.

Sayer smirked as he beheld the scene before him. "I came here to catch a trespasser, only to find a trespasser I _wasn't_ looking for _and_ an escapee. My only ticket to the Spirit World that hasn't managed to slip through my fingers and Yusei Fudo together…interesting."

"Try me, Sayer," Yusei snapped as he took a single step forward, somewhat in front of me. "You aren't going near her again."

Sayer looked right past Yusei and shot me a fierce look, placing a hand on his deck – a jolt of pain racked my body and I moaned, recoiling.

Yusei gasped, turning and grabbing my hand. "Alex! What's wrong?"

"I-I'm okay…but S-Sayer's a psychic duelist, like Akiza," I spat out, still trembling slightly from the aftershocks of the attack. "He can bring cards and their effects to life…he used it on me to control me for long enough to get me out of Satellite, and now he's using another one to hurt me and psych _you_ out!"

I was starting to despise Sayer more and more – he knew that types like Yusei were hurt more if people they cared about were hurt, and definitely wasn't afraid to use that to his advantage.

"How very insightful," Sayer said, almost as if he were taunting me. "Now as much as I would love to take care of you two myself, I have another mouse to catch. So I'll leave these two to you." He turned behind him, where…two boys were walking towards us…

"Okita? Liquid?" I cried. My former teammates walked past Sayer and stopped a little ways from Yusei and me. They didn't respond when I called their names. Something was wrong…

"Take care of these imbeciles, will you?" Sayer smirked.

"Yes, Sayer," Liquid replied monotonously. "As you wish."

"Objective confirmed," Okita echoed. "We will do our very best to subdue them!"

"What are you guys thinking?" I yelled. "We were _friends_, remember?"

Sayer laughed, his face darkening. "Just a short while ago, I treated them to some very intense brainwashing. I'm using them as guinea pigs to perfect a more powerful process of brainwashing that I'll use on _you_, once Fudo is out of the way! Compared with before, their dueling skills and ruthlessness are on a whole new level."

"Hold on a sec! Brainwashing?" Yusei turned to me, eyes alarmed and questioning.

"You heard right," I sighed.

The psychic maniac smirked, turning around to walk away. "You should just relax and give up already. Soon enough, you too will be under my command! And for good this time!"

He disappeared down the next hallway, leaving Yusei and I facing Okita and Liquid, who had their duel disks at the ready.

"Over my dead body she'll be!" Yusei yelled after Sayer before turning back to the situation at hand. I barely noticed, however – I was too busy trying to get the two boys to snap out of it. Yusei had managed to snap me out of _my_ brainwashing, even if it was just for a moment, but what if the brainwashing Sayer used on them was too strong to break by contact with friends alone?

"Guys!" I yelled. "Come on, get ahold of yourselves! I don't want to fight you guys…!"

Okita replied, "All who oppose Sayer must be destroyed."

Mentally, I was beating the crud out of myself. Physically, I was just clenching two sweaty fists.

Is this what Yusei had felt like when he saw me brainwashed? When he tried to talk to me, only to have me react as if I had never known him…? Had it hurt him like this was hurting me now?

"Sorry, Yusei," I whispered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." I looked away from Okita and Liquid and back up at him. "I don't think we can get ourselves out of this one without a fight. Normally I would say I could handle them myself, but…I don't think I can."

"You're right," Yusei nodded. "With you in the state you're in _and _those two being psychic duelists… So, it's a tag team, huh?"

"I guess so."

Yusei reached into the pocket of his blue jacket and pulled out a deck of Duel Monster cards. Handing them to me, he said, "Itsuki found your deck the day you disappeared. I've been keeping them for you." He cracked half a smile. "When we get out of this mess, we'll have to go back and let him know you're okay!"

I smiled as well, loading my cards into the wrist dealer of my duel disk. "And I'll have to apologize to my little bro for making him worry…ready, Yusei?"

My friend nodded. "Let's do it!"

"_DUEL!"_

_

* * *

_

**I am SO sorry it took so long to get this out! Being a sophomore is HARD! Especially when you're in advanced classes! **

**Okay, now that I've got that out of my system… Yes, I know I skipped over the Spirit World rescue from the game, but trust me, there's a method to my madness!**

…

**One day I'll find out for myself what exactly it is.**


End file.
